Tiger Woods completes arguably the greatest comeback story in sports history

Sports have an uncanny way of teaching us about life. And there’s no greater life lesson than the athlete and the man who goes by Tiger Woods.

I first fell in love with golf while watching Tiger play the 1997 Masters with my father. Tiger is the reason that I, like millions of golfers throughout the world, including some of his professional contemporaries today, started playing and loving the game.

For basically his entire life, from the moment he appeared on The Mike Douglas Show at 2-years-old, until his world came infamously crashing down on Thanksgiving 2009, he was “perfect.” He was dominant, impactful, charismatic and invincible — what the world uncovered, however, was that his persona was a carefully crafted facade.

While he continued to play great golf despite injuries and surgeries through 2014, his Superman cape was tarnished, and his respect as a man was all but diminished.

From 2014 until 2017, the world watched Tiger Woods the athlete decay. He’d make minor comebacks after major back surgeries, but the letters “WD” replaced the number “1” next to Tiger’s name on leaderboards for years. And he also developed what was either the chipping yips, or an utter breakdown in his once-superior chipping technique. To all observers, aside from Tiger apologists, it seemed his golf career was likely over.

What was tragic for Tiger the athlete looked as though it’d turn into a tragedy for Tiger the man after his very public DUI in 2017 following his spine fusion surgery earlier that year. Tiger was completely vulnerable, and seemingly, completely broken. He was whatever the opposite is of his former self. Had he faded into oblivion after that, it would have been understandable, if not recommended.

But that’s not what happened. Despite every talking head in sports media saying Tiger was done (not that I didn’t agree at the time), Tiger waited for his back to heal upon doctors orders, then began his comeback to golf. It started with videos on social media of him chipping, then hitting irons, then his patented stinger.

In December of 2017, Tiger finished T9 in the 18-player field at his Hero World Challenge… a respectable finish considering what he had been through. As the season continued, he pieced together 4 consecutive rounds on many occasions, actually giving himself a few chances to win tournaments (the Valspar, Arnold Palmer, Quicken Loans and the Open come to mind). But his late-tournament confidence was clearly shaken; he was struggling to close the deal.

At the 2018 PGA Championship, Tiger had the attention of the entire sporting world when it looked that he had a serious chance to win his 15th major. But ultimately, he finished runner-up to a superior golfer that week in Brooks Koepka. All things considered, the week was a win for Tiger and his confidence… but it wasn’t a win.

The questions changed after the PGA Championship from “Can Tiger win again?” to “When will Tiger win again?”

Well, that question has been answered. Tiger Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship. Is it a major? No, it’s not. Some say the event itself is essentially just a money grab for the best 30 players of the season. But that’s the thing; the tournament hosts the best 30 players of the season all competing for big money. And you can bet it matters to the players on top of the leaderboard.

Tiger’s Tour Championship victory doesn’t mean he’s going to beat Jack’s record. Because he probably won’t. And maybe he won’t even win another major, although he’ll surely be the betting favorite at the 2019 Masters now. But, to me at least, his win marks the completion of the greatest comeback story in all of sports. And not only that, the conclusion to an important life lesson — don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.

No athlete has been written off more than Tiger Woods, especially in the era of social media that gives every critic in the world a microphone. No athlete has reached a higher high, and a relatively lower low than Tiger Woods. He went through it all — a broken marriage, public shaming, legal issues, a deteriorated skill set, surgeries, injuries, and arguably most impactful of all, humanization.

Tiger Woods came back from not just a 28-3 deficit on the scoreboard (Patriots-Falcons reference), and he didn’t score eight points in 9 seconds (Reggie Miller reference, sorry Knicks fans and sorry Dad), and he didn’t get hit by a bus (Ben Hogan), but he got hit hard by the bus of life, and he now stands tall in the winner’s circle.

Maybe that’s why sports teaches us so much about life; because sports is life. Not in the way that nothing else matters except sports, but in the way that sports is played by imperfect humans. When the ball goes in the air, or onto to the tee, or the starting bell rings, nothing is certain and nothing is given. And when things are looking bad, like really really bad, it’s how you respond that truly matters. Isn’t that what life is?

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

Regardless of your thoughts on Tiger as a man or golfer, it’s good for the game. I knew he wasn’t done done but I guessed a win next year. It is pretty damn amazing as everyone knows this is the hardest game in the world to consistently dominate.

So much hate, Everyone knows DJ loves the ladies and the bugger sugar…but they still love him. Hes in trouble right now for that exact behavior, and if you believe he slipped down the stairs at the masters your a bigger fool. He may have fallen…….but it was off the wagon. PGA tour doesn’t like bad looks.

No number of wins is going to top the 120 or so women he poked.
Every f-up he did, he did to himself, he poked them women, went behind his wife’s back, admitted so, crashed his suv into the hydrant, hurt his back from poking said women, then his knee when it got jammed under the steering wheel.
This is not a comeback at all. Everybody who ever had comebacks had something bad happen to them that they did not do to themselves.
Everything Eldrick is by his own design. His wins are impressive, I agree, but we all know some of them are also due to PEDs.

This is what turns fans off about sports reporting these days especially when it comes to Tiger. What about Hogan getting almost killed and then coming back to win majors? I’m sure the author of this BS didn’t even do any research before he or she wrote about this being the best in BEST in sports, not just golf but all of sports. WOW! This is not on Tiger at all. What he has accomplished is super but let’s not get carried away. How old is this person who wrote this? Everything anymore has to be the best, the greatest, etc. etc. STOP ALREADY!

Ah, Jim K, a defender of EVERY black person in the world… well done. The pc liberals of the world will give you an award for that. How about you defend the people who deserve it, but not everyone? Or is that racist to you?

It means you can raise a _credible_ argument. There is no credible argument for Woods being the best comeback story in sports history. Not even in golf history. Probably not even in the top three in golf history.

Have to agree with a number of the commenters here. People tend to pay too much attention to what’s happening right in front of them right NOW and they forget the past. Tiger’s comeback story isn’t even the best one in golf. Of course, Ben Hogan wins that prize. Back from a near-death experience going head-on with an out-of-control bus and nearly dying, being told he’d never walk again, for goodness sakes, much less play again at an elite level, to winning three majors in a single season. That’s ridiculous, That’s a comeback story.

And what of Harry Vardon? Given up for absolute dead with tuberculosis back in the day when it was for most a death sentence, left to fade away in a sanitarium, told he’d never play again, probably not even live, at best as an invalid–he eventually made it out and won The Open twice more to set the all-time record of six. That has to be the #2 comeback story.

With all due respect (and with full acknowledgment that even if Tiger is not the GOAT, he’s right there with Nicklaus and at least arguably greater), even if Tiger wins a major or two or three over the next few years, he’ll rank 3rd behind those two comeback stories.

I agree with 90% of your post but you lost me at “even if Tiger wins a major or two or three over the next few years, he’ll rank 3rd behind those two comeback stories.” Everyone is talking about comebacks from physical trauma, which in all cases, are amazing. But imagine the emotional and psychological trauma Tiger had to overcome. Now granted, most of that was of his own doing, no question. But nonetheless… an ugly divorce, he lost golf, he lost respect, the yips, the DUI, the ridiculously absurd microscope he lives under in EVERY aspect of his life, etc. Those other 2 guys have never experienced that microscope. Not sure anyone, even today, lives under that same scrutiny. No one is dissected like TW. He *might* still be third after winning majors (because he will) but it’s makes for a more compelling argument. In the end though, I don’t see the point in all this “greatest comeback” talk. Each one has it’s own very unique circumstances and all are VERY impressive. They are tough to compare. Why does one have to be better than the other?

While not a big Tiger fan, I was rooting for him to win and I hope he gets all aspects of his life in order. Considering his health not that long ago, quite an achievement to win as he did. On the other hand, as stated by many in other posts, Hogan’s comeback was in my humble opinion the greatest in sports history. Doctors thought he may not walk again, let alone play golf. His multiple achievements after all his injuries was amazing. He needed to take extremely hot baths during tournaments to help circulation in his legs, and then wrapping his legs in order to get around the golf course. His one eye was damaged and he often had trouble focusing while putting. And, he never complained or made excuses – he just played the game and found a way to win. Truly an inspiration to everyone.

Tiger’s post-game demeanor was interesting. Humble but questioning his future ability to win again. This may well be Tiger’s last ever win on the regular Tour; his swan song. He almost sounded nihilistic. He’s really aging fast.

I think what Tiger (and Rose) have shown this year is that the current crop of stars aren’t as good as advertised. One or the other will get hot or find a perfectly-suited course (Reed at Augusta), but they really aren’t all-time greats.

Tiger’s comeback is truly impressive! Since we seem to be talking comebacks another great comeback that no one has mentioned is that of Harry Vardon. First he won the Open Championship while nearly dead from TB and then he did come back after a year or so of recovery to win it a couple of more times with a right hand that twitched during his putting stroke as a result of the bout with TB. Most people in his condition at that time did not survive so his was an all time great comeback imho.

Really ? Another example of overdramatization from a motormouth golf journalist I say….just like Rich Lerner, Steve Sands and Mike Torico.
Ever hear of Ben Hogan, Ernest Jones or for that matter Jarrod Lyle or Erik Compton to name a few ? No, not sensational enough.
BTW, before you start crying in awe, did anybody notice that the leaders like Rose and McIlroy and even Woods all fell apart and shot over par on Sunday while Horshel at al showed that the course was gettable with their 65s?

Trashbag? Really? Look, he may have been a bit snarky, but his underlying point is valid. The article is absurdly sensational, ridiculous to call one win, a fine tournament but not even a major, arguably the greatest comeback ever when Vardon and Hogan are in the mix. heck, Lee Trevino came back from being nearly killed by lightning and with serious spinal problems to win multiple majors. Tiger will probably not even make the top 3 greatest golf comebacks, let alone the greatest ever sports comeback, compared with those. Get a grip, Bill, please, you sound a little unhinged.

Bad form Billy poddymouth. Stick to the facts. Add Matsuyama and Fowler @ -5 each, in fact all of the top ten finishers shot under par on Sunday except Rose, McIlroy and Woods (+7). The course was getable but not by the 3rd round leaders. They fell down and Woods backed into it…..hardly the greatest comeback in all sport.

Lots of egg running down my face today,I’ll admit I was not the first to say he would never win again . I was wrong good for him . But will still say a lot of mystery still revolves around this man and the tour.

Respect your opinion but disagree 100% with conclusion. I truly respect and appreciate Tiger as one if the best ever at Golf. Having seen all of his Masters wins and several other big events in career love I’ve aporeciated his greatness. This being said it’s Not even a close second to several other sports comebacks , for now I will stick to Golf. Ben Hogan near death accident coming back a year later to have the greatest season in Golf is number 1 by a mile. Won every major he could play in ( travel by boat didn’t given him time to get back to PGA from the Open) won 5 tournaments out of 6?played, second in the other. Saved his wife’s life prior to seat belts and air bags along with metal dashboards let alone a head on collision with bus that was driving on wrong side of the road. Soaked his legs in bathtubs and wrapped them every night to be able to play. No pain meds. Medicine in dark ages compared to today Hogan’s 1953 comeback is the greatest in sports , Ali a close second. And If you consider ethics, morals and values it’s separates the conclusion even further. One totally his fault one not. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts .

Just in Golf Hogan dwarfs Woods’ comeback. Within a year, almost dead at least twice, both legs, collarbone, pelvis (on and on) vs. marital, drug and and psychological problems Hogan wins the USGA Open, goes on to win 6 Major Golf Tournaments. Woods has won one limited field event, 2nd in one PGA after 10 years, mostly of his own doing and very bad medical advice. Let’s revisit it in a while.

Kudos to Woods for what he did, but greatest ever, too early to tell and probably never to be. Such short memories in the Twitter age.

Thanks for writing this so I wouldn’t have to. Real time saver. Only thing to add is that comebacks take different forms: injury, illness, age, performance decline….maybe throw Muhammad Ali into the mix for being banned at the peak of his skills, or perhaps a sentimental nod to Tom Watson almost winning the Open Championship at age 58 (?).

You Tiger haters are a joke, you guys are really digging. “The PGA set the course up in his favor”, you are a clown and your commenting privileges should be revoked! I guess its Tiger and the PGA tours fault that 29 of the top 30 players in the game had trouble playing a hard course (that was evidently set up for Tiger) you guys are a joke. Its hard to take you guys seriously. Tigers back, and so are the best haters in sports lol. Losers!

@Haters, the only one I see doing any hating here is YOU. You had to have voted for Hitlery… WHY do you feel that any comment that doesn’t praise woods to an extreme is hate???? I know why… you’re a pc liberal, that’s why.

Love the Tiger comeback. I got a little bored when he won so many so quick in his younger days but it really has become a great story. Especially now Jack’s record has become an against the odds situation.

As far as Justin Rose’s story, many probably forget he missed his first 21 cuts in a row as a professional. Would be interesting to know what percentage of young pros pack it in earlier than that. Great story of self belief and perseverance. Perhaps also support and encouragement from those around him.

Not arguably but definitely one of the biggest caaacks in sports or any history.
Look at the way he talked to his own caddy at the end, grabbing his head and yelling at him like “I told you so” or summin stupid like.
Joe, you’re too good a human to take sociopath Eldrick’s sordid behaviour. I respect you.

This was an amazing comeback. Never a Tiger fan, per se, but I’ve always admired his accomplishments.

Don’t listen to anyone harping about it being a small field. Tiger had to weigh through dozens and dozens of competitors just to get into this thing, then he had to win it against most of the best golfers in the world.

One complaint: how does a “playoff” go to a guy that didn’t win any of the “playoff” events? Rose is terrific, but how is he the Fedex Cup winner? If you honor winning then either Woods or DeChembeau should have won the Fedex Cup. Justin Rose is a terrific player and is the current number 1. But how does he “win” by not winning?

Great comeback win by Tiger but the PGA set up the course in his favor. He had a 3 shot lead going in and the set up was such that no one would be able to shoot low enough to catch him. With that set up he only had to be concerned with Rose and Rory. Tiger said himself that he knew if he shot anything under par, he would win, because of the difficult set up.

Nonsense. He was just 3 strokes up going into the final round. There were many competitors who were in reach. Yes, the course was difficult, but it’s hard to imagine–and you don’t say–how it favored Tiger.

Man…the official Guys that Hate Tiger group is out in full force today.

I’ve always wondered whether there’s a huge cross-section of people who hate Tiger Woods and people who support Donald Trump. Same excuse=making behavior, same blind devotion to their view of the facts, and same racist undertones.

You’re living under a rock then. When Tiger first broke onto the golf scene I remember hearing racist comments in the bar at my course. There were a lot of people rooting against him because of his skin color then and there still are today.
No matter what her does, they’ll find a way to turn it into a negative.

And I’ve heard ten cracks abut the evils of old white men this week alone. Yes there are idiots out there, and always have been. But to imply that if one questions that this is the “greatest comeback of all time” they must be racist is offensive, divisive, and misanthropic. And yes, that’s exactly what that comment implied.

If you find somebody here who’s making a “racist” argument, call him out. But if people don’t agree that Woods is the GOAT or that his comeback is best ever, obviously that’s “racist” per se only to the truly dimwitted.

Tiger is arugably the most important athlete to any sport in history. Nobody has every brought people to their respective sport like tiger has to golf. Congrats to Rose, but nobody gives a crap that he won the cup.

Yeah. He “wins” the Fedex Cup without actually winning any of the tournaments in the so-called “playoff.”

He’s a great guy and a great player. But how he “wins” the Fedex Cup over Tiger, Bryson, and Keegan–each of whom actually won something–is just amazing. And how does it not go to Bryson? The guy won 2 of the 4 events!

Only in golf do we avoid losing, to the point that we give the playoff trophy to someone who didn’t actually win anything.

It would be as if the NBA championship was awarded to the team that did the best overall in the playoffs, instead of the team that came out on top. It’s stupid, and the new changes won’t fix it.

You actually have a massive point there, Ogo, for once lol
You notice that the course they chose, this place in Atlanta, has mostly straight to a left-right shot. You know they consulted Eldrick on what course he would be willing to play at the end of the season, and of course, he chose a place where he doesn’t have to hit a draw all day, but only a couple times. Most of the shots, even though some of the holes look dog-leg left, he can still pipe his cut and get away with.
They should move the final event to some place that requires a tight draw all day through tight gaps through the trees and where the rough is 3 inches deep kikuyu, to truly test the driving accuracy of the players, so that they cannot just gouge it out and move it forward, they should have to play it sideways. And where are the out-of-bounds areas on this course? There are none. Not within driving reach anyway.
Bias towards Eldrick again.

This comment is ridiculous if you seriously think the Tour conspired with Tiger to play this event at East Lake. Did they conspire with him last year when they played there (oh, by the way, he didn’t play in it last yr)? They probably consulted with him to play there next year too right?

And I guess he’s the only person that plays a fade too? He can hit draws just fine with irons or woods. There might not have been a lot of out of bounds in driving reach but Rory found some lateral hazard within driving reach….oh yeah, he plays a draw too which you so desperately want players to constantly hit except that he forgot to hit it on that shot. And where would you like to find this non-existent course where you play a tight draw thru tight gaps in trees all day?

The course and event has been set for a while now so your conspiracy theories have more holes than swiss cheese. They must have that in Trollville where you live. Congrats though, you win the award for one of the dumber things I’ve read in a while.

In next year’s format, Tiger would have won the FedEx cup. I’m not saying next year’s format is necessarily better or worse than what we have now, but when a guy “wins” the FedEx Cup by placing 2nd a couple of times and 5th in the playoff events, it’s not all that exciting. Especially with how bad he played the final round.

OGO, you do realize that these electrons never go away, right? Probably better that you don’t memorialize your cognitive impairment in such a permanent fashion. Its just golf, enjoy the entertainment that it is. Drop some of that negative energy, and I am sure that you will have a better outlook much better Tuesday.

So, if I don’t agree this was the greatest comeback in sports then I am a hater? I did not give him a chance to even play again with the seriousness of the back injury and then with the fusion…truly amazing he could even swing a club again let alone win.
Only time will tell if this is the greatest comeback in golf.
As for greatest comeback ever, my vote goes to Peyton Manning and his neck injury. Not only did he come back from the neck problem where he lost feeling in his hands, he got dropped by his team, went to another and won a Super Bowl.

No, you’re not a hater. And you don’t have to rank comebacks against each other, from one to ten either. Tiger’s comeback is fantastic, and so was Hogan’s. You can just say “Well done Tiger – that is a fantastic comeback after all your problems” and leave it there. I am.

DrRob1963,,,,,, Stump can rank comebacks as much as he wants,from 1-100 or 1-10, he dosen’t have to say “well done Tiger- that is a fantastic comeback” and he dosent have to leave it at that, he can take it anywhere he wants.

And I am very happy for people to play, or not to play, the rating game. With such different circumstances especially with different sports, I feel it is impossible to come to a definitive answer – different people will have different opinions, and come to different conclusions. Ben Hogan vs Tiger vs Peyton Manning vs Gordie Howe vs Muhammad Ali vs ….. Some people want to rank them, but I think its impossible to come to a clear, unchallengible answer. Better to step back, admire each one and just say “Wow! Well done to each of you!”

OK then, if it’s impossible to reach a conclusion, then I nominate myself for greatest comeback. I took 25 years off from golf, used to be a mid-70s golfer. Took game back up recently and at first couldn’t have hit the water if I’d teed it up on the beach–and finally, after a few grueling months of playing casual golf with friends, I shot 37 for 9 holes a couple weeks ago. That’s the greatest comeback ever! Well done to me–everyone gets a trophy, right? Please, dude, some things are greater and more extraordinary than others. It’s JUST SO.

Wow! Well done. I am pleased for you to have reached a personal goal. You are a legend in your own mind. However, I personally see Ben’s and Tiger’s golf comebacks as more significant on the world sports stage. I find them difficult to compare directly as I admire both of their comebacks, let alone trying to judge them against great comebacks in other sports.

Sure, but to many, personal bests are important. Mine are important to me, but mean little to others, and simply do not rank against the best in sports. But I am still proud of mine, and you should be proud of yours, too.
I think my point about ranking events, is that different people will look at the same events, but rank them differently. Both viewpoints and arguments may be valid – they may just value them differently.. For instance, someone who has had bad back problems may feel Tiger’s comeback was better, while another who has had a car crash, suffering major injuries, may prefer Hogan’s. I prefer to say “Wow! Tiger’s was great because a) b) & c), and so was Ben’s due to d) e) & f)”. I don’t personally feel the need to rank them, or separate them.

Mike W

Sep 26, 2018 at 5:55 pm

I’m responding to your post below, where you talk about “personal bests”, but for whatever glitchy reason the forum won’t allow me to do. So I’m responding here. Actually, 37 would not be my personal best. That was 32, more than once, many, many years ago. But even that was a paltry accomplishment because it was a commonplace muni course and if I strung four of those together for a 36 hole 128, on that course it still probably wouldn’t be enough to play on the weekend had the tour been playing there. I admire Tiger’s drive and determination to make it back in spite of great pain (and back pain’s about the worst, this coming from a guy who once threw his back out so thoroughly that I went down like I was shot and nothing, no power on earth, could’ve enabled me to stand up or even crawl, it was like being paralyzed). So I can respect that, and I am a fan and hope he goes on to win 20 majors and removes all doubt about the GOAT (until another one, perhaps not yet born, comes along who’s just like him)–but still the comeback that Hogan put together was simply hands-down the best.

Hmm. Somehow I think you missed my point. I was mocking my “accomplishments”. I was trying to point out that it’s illogical to say that accomplishments can’t be ranked. Of course they can. My would rank something like 100 millionth. Tiger’s would probably be third in golf behind Hogan and Vardon.

Oh I wasn’t responding to you…more a general poke at those in these comments implying that if one doesn’t love tiger and claim this as “the greatest comeback in sports history,” they must therefore be racists.

Not a racist and not the greatest comeback in History, leave that for Hogan. Watch what Tiger does and see if his” Magic comeback” lasts, it sure did not in the Ryder Cup where he lost all his matches,,, along with Phil. And while your at it shove you racist comment when the Sun don’t shine.

Its not hating to say that coming back for almost dying twice after getting hit head on by a bus and then winning several majors is a better comeback that winning a limited field event after back surgery(s). Tigers win/comeback is impressive, but 2 years ago no one was wondering if he would still be alive today..

Nahh, you’re right. Tiger winning a non-major event after spinal fusion surgery is FAR GREATER a comeback than Hogan nearly being killed by a bus, then winning three majors in one year. No doubt Tiger’s the greatest comeback of all and anyone who says otherwise,if fact, anyone who thinks every shot Tiger has ever taken in his life, and everything he has ever done in his life (including the stuff with women of the night while he was married and with a kid at home) is not the greatest thing ever, is a full boat HATER of Tiger, probably a closeted racist, a monster. You are just SO RIGHT ON SO MANY LEVELS, HKO!

I hope he’s back for a few good years yet. Unlike many of today’s golfers, Tiger is a threat in nearly every tournament he enters, which makes them much more exciting to watch. He is one of the most consistently great golfers the game has seen. Just look at how the other ‘greats’ of today folded around him. I’m guessing Koepka might have had a different result at the U.S. Open had he been paired with Tiger on that last day. Koepka basically got to play the round in anonymity. Glad to have Tiger back in the fold. Hopefully he knows enough about his body now to stay healthy.

Pretty incredible, an amazing rebound from injuries. But Hogan’s recovery was more significant and if we’re talking all of sports you have to consider the Red Sox coming back from three games down to beat the Yankees in 2004. Still was really amazing with Tiger winning and Justice that Rose won the overall FedEx cop too.

I am not a Tiger hater nor Tiger lover,but, Ben Hogan came back from a double-fracture of the pelvis, a fractured collarbone, fractured left ankle, chipped ribs and near fatal blood clots, all without today’s modern medical advances.

The difference is between neuro and skeletal. A pelvis, which is the only of those injuries which you could argue would long term impact a golf swing, will still regenerate. A fusion is much more significant. The loss of ROM is permanent and the body is only able to repair neuro involvement. Repair vs regenerate is huge. On top of that, chronic vs acute is also huge. Hogan did not deal with the body’s compensatory movements over years that Tiger’s did. There is no comparison between them.

Hogan almost died twice, once from the accident and once from blood clots. You talk about losing ROM,yet Hogan essentially lost use of his legs having to wrap then prior to playing. The wreck also impacted his vision which greatly impacted his putting. What Tiger did is impressive, but until he wins 4 or 5 majore (like Hogan post accident) lets not call it the greatest.

As incredible as Hogan’s comeback was, he wasn’t coming back against the deepest field in history. The number of great players today is far higher than it was when Hogan came back from his accident. I’d also argue that the mountain Tiger had to climb on his way back was as much mental as it was physical.

And I guess you discredit Jones and his Grand Slam sine the fields were week?? Then again, if the fields had been a little deeper in HOgans days maybe he could have focused more on tournament golf and not had to hold down a club job as well

I’ve never been the biggest Tiger fan. But even I got a little choked up at the outpouring of positive emotion from the fans as he walked up 18. Not something you see often in golf and reminiscent of the type of galleries that Arnold Palmer used to gather as he walked up 18 in some majors. Great to see, great for golf and hopefully more to come.

A different perspective

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to play a round with two of the greens keepers at a local golf course and it was a fascinating experience. It gave me a chance to get a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to make a golf course great.

Many of us play at public courses, and sometimes its luck of the draw if the course we are at is in good condition. In my case, if I find a course that is well maintained and taken care of, I make it a regular stop. In this case, I was at Ridgeview Ranch in Plano Texas and it is a great public course and I play here at least once a month.

The two guys I played with were Tony Arellano and Jose Marguez. Both were great guys to share a round with. Tony shared what it’s like to make sure that all the greens are maintained properly and watered correctly. He showed me where there were some issues with one of the greens that I would never have noticed. We talked about how the invasion of Poa annua grass forces his guys to pull it out by hand with a tool that is smaller than a divot repair tool. It became clear to me that as a golf community, we need to lift up the people that do this labor-intensive work and thank them for all they do. Ridgeview Ranch is without a doubt one of the better public courses in my area, and it is because of the hard work these men do that keeps it this way.

As we watched the Masters tournament a few weeks ago we were awestruck by the awesome beauty of Augusta National and in my case I believe that is what heaven looks like. I think we take that kind of beauty for granted and forget the massive amount of time and hard work that go into making a golf course look good. These people have to deal with all of the different factors that Mother Nature throws at them and be prepared for anything. In addition to that, they also have to make sure the watering system is maintained as well as all of their equipment.

I have played at other courses in the DFW area that have a terrible staff and a superintendent that either don’t care about the course or don’t know how to stop it from falling apart. The course won’t spend the money to go get the right people that will take pride in their work. Some of these places will charge you more than $80 per round, and when you get to the first green that has dry spots that are without any grass you feel like you have been ripped off.

We all love this game not because it’s easy but because it’s a challenge and being good at it takes a ton of effort. We also love it because it gives us a chance to hang out with friends and family and enjoy time outside in the sun– hopefully without cell phone interruptions and other distractions of our modern day. We spend a ton of money on green fees, equipment and sometimes travel. We want to get what we pay for and we want to have a great course to spend the day at.

I wanted to write this article to thank all of those men and women that start work in the early hours of the day and work through the hottest stretches of the summer to keep our golf courses in great shape. They are people that never get the credit they deserve and we should always thank them whenever possible. Tony and Jose are just two examples of the people who work so hard for all of us. Ridgeview Ranch is lucky to have these two men who not only work hard but were fantastic representatives of their course. So next time you are out there and you see these people working hard, maybe stop and say thank you let them know what they do really makes a difference.

5 most common golf injuries (and how to deal with them)

You might not think about golf as a physically intensive game, but that doesn’t change the fact it is still a sport. And as with every sport, there’s a possibility you’ll sustain an injury while playing golf. Here’s a list of the five most common injuries you might sustain when playing the game, along with tips on how to deal with them in the best way possible so you heal quickly.

Sunburn

While not directly an injury, it’s paramount to talk about sunburns when talking about golf. A typical golf game is played outside in the open field, and it lasts for around four hours. This makes it extremely likely you’ll get sunburnt, especially if your skin is susceptible to it.

That’s why you should be quite careful when you play golf

Apply sunscreen every hour – since you’re moving around quite a lot on a golf course, sunscreen won’t last as long as it normally does.

Wear a golf hat – aside from making you look like a professional, the hat will provide additional protection for your face.

If you’re extra sensitive to the sun, you should check the weather and plan games when the weather is overcast.

Rotator Cuff Injury

A rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that surround the shoulder joint. This group are the main muscles responsible for swing movements in your arms. It’s no surprise then that in golf, where the main activity consists of swinging your arms, there’s a real chance this muscle group might sustain an injury.

To avoid injuries to this group, it’s imperative you practice the correct form of swinging the club. Before playing, you should also consider some stretching.

If you get an injury, however, you can recover faster by following RICE:

Rest: resting is extremely important for recovery. After an injury, the muscles are extremely vulnerable to further injury, and that’s why you should immediately stop playing and try to get some rest.

Ice: applying ice to the injured area during the first day or two can help. It reduces inflammation and relaxes the muscles.

Compress: bandage the rotator cuff group muscle and compress the muscles. This speeds up the muscle healing process.

Elevate: elevate the muscles above your heart to help achieve better circulation of blood and minimize fluids from gathering.

Wrist Injuries

Wrist tendons can sustain injuries when playing golf. Especially if you enjoy playing with a heavy club, it can put some strain on the wrist and cause wrist tendonitis, which is characterized by inflammation and irritation.

You should start by putting your wrist in a splint or a cast – it is necessary to immobilize your wrist to facilitate healing.

Anti-inflammatory medicine can relieve some of the pain and swelling you’ll have to deal with during the healing process. While it might not help your wrist heal much quicker, it’ll increase your comfort.

A professional hand therapist knows about the complexities of the wrist and the hand and can help you heal quicker by inspecting and treating your hands.

Back Pain

A golf game is long, sometimes taking up to 6 hours. This long a period of standing upright, walking, swinging clubs, etc. can put stress on your back, especially in people who aren’t used to a lot of physical activities:

If you feel like you’re not up for it, you should take a break mid-game and then continue after a decent rest. A golf game doesn’t have any particular time constraints, so it should be simple to agree to a short break.

If you don’t, consider renting a golf cart, it makes movement much easier. If that’s not possible, you can always buy a pushcart, which you can easily store all the equipment in. Take a look at golf push cart reviews to know which of them best suits your needs.

Better posture – a good posture distributes physical strain throughout your body and not only on your back, which means a good posture will prevent back pain and help you deal with it better during a game.

Golfer’s Elbow

Medically known as medial epicondylitis, golfer’s elbow occurs due to strain on the tendons connecting the elbow and forearm. It can also occur if you overuse and over-exhaust the muscles in your forearm that allow you to grip and rotate your arm:

A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug is the way to go to alleviate the most severe symptoms of the injury at the beginning.

Lift the club properly, and if you think there’s a mismatch between your wrist and the weight of the club, you should get a lighter one.

Learn when you’ve reached your limit. Don’t overexert yourself – when you know your elbow is starting to cause you problems, take a short break!

TG2: Our PGA picks were spot on…and Rob hit a school bus with a golf ball

Rob picked Brooks to win the PGA and hit the nail on the head, while Knudson’s DJ pick was pretty close. Rob hit a school bus with a golf ball and we talk about some new clubs that are going to be tested in the next couple days.